Innovative Research in Design-related Bachelor & Master Theses

The Different Brilliant Award is proud to announce its 4th edition! The initiative highlights and awards best-practices and innovative design-related Bachelor and Master Theses, providing insights into applied and artistic research at the many intersections between media and design.

Alongside traditional methods like surveys and expert interviews, students can explore new and hybrid approaches or perspectives. Today, research in media, design and creation can be done using both empirical evidence and artistic practice. The possibility of new approaches incorporates and adapts methods from various domains. Different Brilliant serves as a showcase of methodological diversity, inspiring students to learn and reflect on their own research practice. 

We are delighted to announce that in this 2025 edition, Different Brilliant will be joining forces with the 7th International Conference on Creative\Media/Technologies (IConCMT), which will be held at St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences (UAS) from 25 to 27 November 2025. 
We cordially invite you to apply for this opportunity to exchange ideas in multiple research areas within the field of media and digital technologies.

Procedure

The best three theses will be presented in 15 minutes format to the public. All presentations will be in English. We welcome all students from Austrian universities and international partner universities*  to apply. We especially encourage submissions that include evidence-based results and thesis with focus on research methods.

Award

The winners will receive various rewards: a prize of 500 EUR (to be shared among the winners), the opportunity to attend the conference, including the conference dinner, and an auxiliary fee for train tickets and/or accommodation costs. 

Topics of interest

Submissions can explore various research methods in design, media design and creation. This may include using traditional or experimental approaches. The following topics serve as a guideline:

1. Theoretical-conceptual research
Develops new theories and deepens the understanding of design research.
•    Literature-Based Studies
•    Theory Development
•    Theory Transfer

2. Quantitative research
Involves statistical analysis and data-driven approaches to explore design phenomena.
•    Surveys
•    UX/UI Testing & Eye-Tracking
•    Data Analysis / Statistical Analysis

3. Qualitative research
Centers on in-depth exploration of design processes and experiences using smaller sample sizes.
•    Observations
•    Expert Interviews
•    Content Analysis/Grounded Theory

4. Applied research (Mixed methods)
Integrates practical design development with research to generate new knowledge through the design process.
•    Case Studies
•    Proof of Concept
•    Experiments / Testing design hypotheses
•    Research-Through-Design
•    Evidence-Based Design
•    Prototyping
•    Empirical Design

5. Experimental approaches
Utilizes creative and unconventional methods to explore innovative 
•    Arts-Based Research
•    Speculative design
•    Design Fiction
•    Cultural Probes

Eligible to submit 

•    students and graduates of Austrian universities / higher education institutions
•    as a graduate: you have completed your bachelor´s /master´s degree within 2 years
•    students and graduates from study programs of the international network of the partner universities*

Template for submission

Submission guidelines

•    all submissions must include 3 separate pdf files: research paper (concise research description according to template), short biography (100 words) and the full BA or MA thesis – to be sent to different.brilliant@fhstp.ac.at
•    The three files together cannot exceed the size of 10Mb
•    the review process will be double-blind. Please do not include any information about the authors in the submitted paper. The reviewed version of the paper should be published in the conference proceedings.
•    Formatting details and guilelines for structuring the paper are described within the template.
•    Papers should written be preferably in English, but German is also accepted.
•    if AI is used in the research, it must be mentioned.

Important dates

Submission deadline: Sunday, August 24th 2025
Communication with three finalists: Friday, September 26th 2025
Presentation at the IConCMT: Wednesday, November 26th 2025 between 4:45pm and 6pm
Submission of the reviewed paper: Friday, February 20th 2026

Presentation details

•    A 15-minutes presentation in English
•    Online participation is not possible.
•    Nominated finalists will be provided with a detailed template to structure and set-up your presentation (including sections, timetable, examples).
•    Winners are named after the presentations and discussion with the audience.

Committees

Program committee
Graziele Lautenschlaeger
Rosa von Suess
Matthias Tratz

Organizing committee
Hanna Aicher
Yulia Belinskaya
Graziele Lautenschlaeger

Reviewers
Sigrid Bürstmayr (FH Joanneum)
Vrääth Öhner (St. Pölten UAS)
Florian Sametinger (Kunstuniversität Linz)
Viktoria Schneider-Kirjuchina (FH Salzburg)
Matthias Tratz (St. Pölten UAS) 
Georg Vogt (St. Pölten UAS)
Rosa von Suess (St. Pölten UAS)

Venue
The conference IConCMT will be held in St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences, Campus-Platz 1, 3100 St. Pölten, Austria

Contact

All questions about submissions should be emailed to different.brilliant@fhstp.ac.at 

*
Aleksander Moisiu University Durres
Artesis Plantijn University of Applied Sciences and Arts Antwerp
Artevelde University of Applied Sciences- Ghent
Atlantic Technological University
Avans University of Applied Sciences
Beijing Foreign Studies University
Bonch Bruevich State University of Telecommunications, Sankt Petersburg
Budapest Metropolitan University
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
CBS International Business School
Cherkasy State Business College
Dublin Business School
Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
Ecole d’Ingénieurs en Génie des Systèmes Industriels (EIGSI)
Ecole Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Tarbes
Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena
Fachhochschule Dortmund
Fachhochschule Graubünden
Fachhochschule Kiel
Fachhochschule Stuttgart - Hochschule der Medien
Fontys University of Applied Sciences
Glasgow Caledonian University
Haute Ecole de Namur-Liège-Luxembourg (HENALLUX)
Haute Ecole EPHEC
Hochschule Ansbach
Hochschule Bremen
Hochschule Darmstadt
Hochschule Düsseldorf
Hochschule Fulda
Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften Hamburg
Hochschule Furtwangen
Hochschule Luzern
Hochschule Mittweida
Hochschule Osnabrück
HOWEST University of Applied Sciences
Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences
HYBRIA School of Business and Technologies & EKLYA School of Business
Inha University
Instituto Politécnico do Porto
Internationale Hochschule SDI München - University of Applied Sciences
Izmir University of Economics
Jagellonian-Universität
Jamk University of Applied Sciences
Jianghan University, Wuhan
Kadir Has University
London Metropolitan University
MATE Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Nanyang Technological University
National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest
Nottingham Trent University
Oslo Metropolitan University
Oulu University of Applied Sciences
Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology
Politécnico de Setúbal
PXL University of Applied Sciences and Arts
Sapienza – Universitá di Roma
Saxion University of Applied Sciences 
Saxion University of Applied Sciences
Semmelweis University
Södertörns Högskola
SRH Hochschule Heidelberg
Staatliche Hochschule für Gestaltung Karlsruhe
Staatliche Linguistische Universität Pyatigorsk
TalTech University
Technische Hochschule Augsburg
Technische Hochschule Köln
Technische Hochschule Würzburg-Schweinfurt, Würzburg
Technische Universität Ilmenau
Technische Universität Lodz
Technische Universität Warschau
The Hague University of Applied Sciences
Tomas Bata University
Transilvania University of Brasov
UCLL University of Applied Sciences
Politehnica University Timișoara
Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences
UCLL University of Applied Sciences,  Leuven-Limburg
Universidad Cardenal Herrera CEU
Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia
Universidad de Guadalajara
Universidad de Salamanca
Universidad de Valladolid
Universidad Europea de Canarias, La Orotava
Universidad Europea de Valencia
Universidad Nacional de Lanús
Universidad Politécnia de Cartagena
Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias
Università degli Studi di Bari
Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Universitat de Barcelona
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
Universitat Politècnica de Valencia
Université de Montpellier
Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France
University of Applied Sciences in Ferizaj
University of Nyiregyháza
University of West Attica
Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences
Westsächsische Hochschule
Windesheim University of Applied Sciences
Wirtschaftsuniversität Krakau